This invention related generally to floor box covers and more particularly to those covers employing one or more pivotally secured lids that cover the one or more receptacles mounted within the floor box.
Floor box covers with individual pivotal lids are quite well known in the art. Some examples of this can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,969, U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,623 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,084. As shown therein, a screwdriver or other tool is inserted into a notch located generally opposite the hinge and is used to pry the lid upwards thereby exposing one electrical socket underneath. They may or may not be latched or wedged in the closed position and hence it may not take much effort to raise them.
An improvement on this basic design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,654, U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,434 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,634. In each of these patents the lid is even more securely restrained in the closed position should such be required, for example, to exert pressure on a gasket. This mechanical restraint takes the form of a screw head that has been modified so as to have a straight or flat edge. The screw is rotated to align the flat edge with the edge of the lid thereby enabling the lid to open. When the lid is to be locked closed, the screw is again rotated so that its round circumference now overlaps the edge of the lid thereby preventing the lid from opening. Obviously, such a design requires the use of a tool to rotate the screw as needed.
A different approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,643, U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,126 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,226. Each of these covers incorporates a sliding door that blocks the user from connecting a plug to the covered electrical fixture. To expose the fixture, the door must be slid back so that the prong openings in the door align with the prong openings in the fixture. These designs to not use pivotal lids as in the earlier examples.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,262 improves upon the above design in that it incorporates a pivotal lid along with a sliding door, both of which must be activated if the user is to access the covered fixture. Other versions of floor box covers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,265,662 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,417,450. They rely upon either a bendable rod or a locking hook arrangement to retain a lid in place.
There is therefore a need for an improved floor box cover with a new means of latching or securing pivotal lids in the closed position as well as easily enabling their release. The lid(s) of such an improved cover should be useable without the need for tools or other implements that may be required to pry the lid upwards. Additionally, such a cover should have a latching mechanism that can operate multiple lids rather than there being a single mechanism for a single lid as previously taught. Further, a mechanism should be provided that, except for the immediate operation of releasing the lid, returns back to its normal position while the fixture is in use. Further still, a mechanism should be provided that can be easily closed and locked in that position by pressing down upon the lid, such as with a foot. Hence, there should be no need for the user to manipulate the device by hand to close and lock the lid as previously required. Additionally, the cover should be designed such that if the lid is inadvertently left in the open position, it will automatically become locked by simply stepping on the cover. These and many objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon further review and investigation.